When someone asked me recently what I’m into I didn’t have answers. Existential crisis aside, what are some good hobbies/interests for someone in their mid thirties to pick up?
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Great list. I do have to pop in and say though, amateur mushroom foraging is a ludicrously deadly hobby. I’d advise against that for most people. A mushroom that’s tasty and a mushroom that kills you dead in minutes sometimes look extremely very much the same.
Now granted most people aren’t likely to stumble across a ring of Death Caps in their local innawoods, but still, fungi are to be respected and generally not fucked with. Some of those Gi’s are not as Fun as they’d like you to think, and trained and true mycologists have been killed by misidentification.
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Never too old to learn a musical instrument. You can pick up an acoustic guitar for cheap at a pawn shop.
Learning how to code is a good one that can be done either free or very cheaply and doesn’t require a lot of computing power when starting out. All you need is a text editor and Google.
I picked up bass a few months ago (26/27 here)!
Play an instrument.
I had zero musical talent, I’m not coordinated, and I don’t even listen to music much to be honest. Yet one day I decided to try playing guitar and totally fell in love, it’s like a new part of my brain came online.
I’ll never be playing Wembley stadium or whatever but just practicing is so rewarding. It’s not about getting good, it’s about getting better.
Mid 30s here and just started guitar a couple months ago. So many great resources online and you can practice pretty much anytime anywhere. Have had a blast and even got my 2 year old son into it. Been a lot of fun learning parts of some of my favorite songs.
I got a tiny FX processor (boss pocket mini) and it can hook up to any set of speakers or headphones. The ability to move from rock to blues to metal to funk has made practice even more fun.
Plus it’s opened up the world of playing along to YouTube tracks, which has been an absolute blast!
Dude learning music is so fulfilling. I picked up the viola at 30. Am I good, no, not at all. However, it’s been super gratifying being able to hear gradual progress. I have improved enough that playing with other people is no longer a pipe dream. Learning music has given me so much happiness. I felt so anxious and stalled in my paid work because of the vagueness and lack of direction, so small achievable goals like learning a new piece has been really grounding. It’s also really peaceful to have something so completely selfish. My viola skills are not for anyone but me, so I always smile a little whenever I pick it up. I sincerely hope that the guitar brings you the same joy.
Man I really want to learn the piano but the community sometimes feels so gatekeepy. So many people will tell you if you don’t start off with a dedicated piano teacher, you won’t have the right foundational principles and you’ll be forever shit. I just dont have the time to commit to a schedule and regular piano lessons.
Love your comment bout getting better, not good. Maybe I shold just dive in and see where it takes me.
Just do it!
I did a ton of research and got a cheap bit quality monoprice starter electric guitar.
There’s definitely a ton of snobbery, same with any hobby. YouTube is a fantastic way to dip your toe in the water and you can always start lessons if you’re enjoying it!
Same with the piano but when looking around for starter keyboards all they can tell you is everything is shit unless to throw out $500.
I don’t even know if this is going to click with me. I can’t spend that much on something that may end up gathering dust.
You can start with a midi controller keyboard for less than $200. It doesn’t have its own sound and you’ll need a laptop or ipad and software to actually play, but at least you won’t blow hundreds of dollars just to pick up a hobby. A full weighted keyboard will be a little more expensive though and can hit $300+.
I feel you man. It has to be 88 weighted keys otherwise it’s shit. 500 for the piano and $100 per lesson is what you’re supposed to spend. Put me off it, I bought a Ukulele instead haha.
If it helps, I never learned “formally” and play by ear pretty much all the time; and I’ve been playing in bands since college and have my music on streaming platforms. Obviously I’ll never be able to perform classical pieces or work as a sessionist because I can’t read sheet music, but I do make my own music. Go for it!
So many people will tell you if you don’t start off with a dedicated piano teacher, you won’t have the right foundational principles and you’ll be forever shit.
Are you one of those people though?
I don’t think so, but when you’re told that it’s a little intimidating to start.
I actually did this but with the ukulele! I picked it up partially because it’s small and really easy to pick up and put down when I’m bored at work, but also because it’s relatively easy.
Disc golf. Most cities of moderate size have a course somewhere around and most are free to use. Can get started with 1 disc, about 10 to 12 dollars for a putter, all you’d need to start, or get a starter set of 3 discs for about 30 to 40 bucks at most sporting goods stores.
I’ve been addicted to disc golf for a decade, and while I’m still not very good, I still enjoy every single round so much.
There’s so much benefit to squeeze out of the sport:
- hiking
- humility
- healthy competitive spirit
- self control
- decision making
- sight seeing
Disc golf changed my life, and I hope others find their way to it too
I learned a bit of woodworking recently. You can go totally stupid on it like I did and drop a thousand dollars on tools you’ll only sometimes use, or you can grab a hammer and a saw and start making stuff the long way around. It’s kind of a trade-off of convenience versus expense in that way, but I enjoy making stuff.
Came in handy this spring when my front stairs collapsed. I probably saved ten grand at least for being able to DIY that.
I second woodworking. You can absolutely spend a shitton of money on tools, but you really don’t have to. Start with a cordless drill and a circular saw. Then a plunge router. Then a table saw. If you’re looking to build furniture, get a planer, then a jointer eventually. Bandsaws are nice, but a jigsaw is a better beginner purchase for curves.
Get stuff used off FB marketplace, craigslist, OfferUp, or auctions. Estate sales are fantastic for used tools, I got a shaper with about $2k worth of tooling for $40. Most of my tools are from marketplace or auctions. New, they’d easily be over 10 grand, but I’ve spent maybe $2.5k total over five years of slowly accumulating stuff.
Resist the pressure to build stuff to sell. Everyone around you will push you to monetize your hobby, but you don’t have to. It’s ok to spend money to help you do something you enjoy. (If you want to sell things, great, but don’t do it just because people say you should. It really sucks the fun out of it)
For the shaper, did you get that at auction? Are these like eBay auctions you’re taking about?
Yes, got it at an auction. Not ebay auctions (although I guess you can, but then you’re on the hook for shipping), search for auctions or estate sales in your area. Typically, my area has a couple a month across a few sites.
I’m also a mid-30s dude and I can honestly say cooking and baking has probably been the best skill I have. I bake stuff for my coworkers every now and then and it’s always a good time. And cooking a nice meal from scratch for a girl always impresses.
It’s a good time to pick up a martial art or yoga. The strength and flexibility training will help stave off age very effectively, and they’re good at helping deal with stress too.
I agree with many here about finding some sort of exercise, it’s especially beneficial as we age. Cooking is another great one that was mentioned, and it goes hand in hand with staying healthy along with exercising.
One I didn’t see mentioned was Lego. Fair warning, it can get very expensive, but I found it very relaxing to build something with my hands. Plus, you can just turn off your brain for a bit and it feels great to admire a build after you’ve completed it.
I started building sets for things I was interested in, like Star Wars, and would watch the movies while building or put on an audiobook.
There are great lego alternatives which have much more reasonable pricing like bluebrixx and CaDa.
Indeed, I own several of these sets, and it still gets expensive haha.
Do you prefer indoor or outdoor activities?
Both, but I live in a state where the summers are hot and the winters are cold and snowy. Finding something to do outdoors consistently had been difficult.
Gardening is always a safe “goto”
Weight lifting. As your body ages retaining muscle mass gets harder, and more important. Develop the habit now so you’re not trying to pick up weight lifting in your 60s when the doctors tell you to start.
This one so much. I started lifting 3-4 years ago. It made the single largest improvement to my overall life quality of anything else I’ve ever done. The benefits are massive, impossible to overstate them.
Go rock climbing! It’s a great workout and the people around are the most chill people ever!
I second this, it even got a little addictive for me at one point.
Probably some of these mentioned already:
- Cooking more instead of buying pre-made
- Learning some basic home maintenance like plumbing, keeping appliances cleaned, simple electrical stuff, etc
- Growing some small veggies
- Prepping for disaster - different time frames and scenarios like: fire, no power, poor air quality, floods, data loss, having to leave in a hurry
- Simple exercise and stretching routine
Rock climbing. Hit up a gym or hire a guide if outdoor climbing sounds interesting
If you’re looking for a physical activity, consider indoor rowing. I picked it up at 35. It was getting harder to find regular exercise that didn’t kill my joints. This one fits the bill. Gives me a great workout without leaving aches and pains.
